POWER AND SAIL SPRING MAINTENANCE 101

Now that the start of the season is upon us it is time to do some simple and not so simple work on our boats so that we can all be safe a secure as we launch our boats once again, if this is your first season this info will be of great assistance, if not it may offer a reminder of what we should and need to do.

Interior:

·         Check all thru-hull openings and depending on the size of your boat there may be many so look and inspect as many as possible, keep in mind they are not always easily accessible.  All thru-hull openings need to be double clamped, yes that means two worm clamps on each thru-hull opening, ( it is required for your survey which is required by your insurance company) inspect each hose and make sure there is no wear and tear. Grab each hose and give a reasonable tug to make sure it is secure, if it breaks, good for you to find it before it is a major problem out on the water.

·         Look for moisture within the interior check all thru-deck fittings and all port windows, correct as required. If your boat is made of wood, tap all areas with the handle of a screwdriver and listen for changes in the sound, it may indicate soft spots due to wood rot caused by moisture and mould.

·         Inspect your electrical system, look for corrosion on any connections and make sure that your batteries are topped with distilled water and fully charged, I recommend buying a hydrometer (cheap) it is a great tool to determine the health of your batteries, be sure to check every hole on the top of your battery, difference in each cell indicate a future problem, fill with distilled water (not tap water) it will reduce the amount of corrosion in the lead plates. 

·         VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure the boats drain plug or if you have a sailboat, the Garber plug (located on the side of the keel) is re-inserted. Many experienced boaters get so excited about launching their boat they overlook this simple task. Once the boat is in the water and secure, make sure you inspect the bilge for any incoming water.

Exterior:

·         Check your hull (every inch if possible) if you see and original fibreglass bottom or gel coat it need s to be covered to protect the fibreglass. If you have VC17 (a thin, even, blackish coating), just recoat, if your bottom is powder-ish it may be a sacrificial paint design to dissolve over time, depending on the number of coats and the thickness of the relief, you may wish to have it stripped and a waterproof barrier coat applied and then re-apply an anti-fouling bottom paint. (It is an expensive and dirty and exhausting job to get done but will be worth it if performance is your thing) If your sailboat has rust on the keel (most do) I recommend taking a grinder with a wire wheel to remove all rust and paint it with Tremclad, yup Tremclad, it cheap and will last about 3-4 years. The rust will come back over time but it is an effective and cheap way to correct the problem.

·         Inspect your rudder or rudders and drive shafts, if there is a lot of wiggle room then you may wish to focus your efforts to consult a seasoned salty dog to get an experience opinion. Inspect your anodes; they are the sacrificial metal that is added to a boat usually in the side of the keel or the drive shaft. They eliminate the electrolysis that occurs with metals and water. If they are corroded, and they are designed to corrode, replace them, they are made of a soft metal and can be cut off with a hack-saw. If you have an outboard engine, drain the bottom-end oil. You will find two screws one above the other on the right side next to the prop. The oil will drain out and if it is milky looking you have water getting in to your lower end and needs to be corrected, if not get the recommended lower-end oil and replace it by inserting the bottle nozzle in the lower hole and squeeze in the new oil till it comes out the top hole, with slight pressure on the bottle re-insert the top screw and then the lower. (Closing the top screw will create a vacuum in the lower-unit and very little oil will come out the lower hole allowing you to make sure the lower unit is full.)

Last but not least:

Check your safety equipment! Flairs are required by law and will save your life!

Posted by: Robert Gow